Be careful, alright?
And it's fine if you decide to head right on back here, you know!
I'm counting on you to take care of Riko!
Understood.
You guys care take of yourselves, too.
Thank you to both of you!
Keep an eye out for the good news I'll be sending!
Well then, we're off now!
These new adventurers...
Welling up inside them is courage, wit, and curiosity.
On their path, hope and despair alike are lying in wait.
Our purpose in life lies in the depths
Despite our fears, our eyes shine brighter than fire
We need to reach deep below
The end of the uncharted labyrinth
In the gaping hole of the abyss
To follow the trail that leads towards the truth
If I'm to find all the answers
I can sacrifice everything
All I need to do is follow your voice
While it still echoes on and on
The compass needle never moves
It points right into the darkness
From which there's no escape
Be it a curse or not
The beating of our hearts is real
And the longing will never cease
The Edge of the Abyss
Uh, Reg... wake up.
Who's there?!
Reg?
Huh?
I wonder when I drifted off to sleep...
Sorry about that... Your belly was just so warm, Reg.
It's understandable.
We hardly ever stay up that late, after all.
Here.
Thanks.
Reg...
You have any idea where we are?
We dropped directly down from the Wharf District, but I couldn't really say what area we're in...
The depth gauge is indicating 820 meters.
Riko, what is it?
First Layer
Edge of the Abyss
Amazing...
It's way brighter here than up on the surface, huh?
Ah, over there!
It's the Rock Ark, located at a depth of 600 meters...
It's so far above us!
Not long ago, I was aiming for a depth of 400 meters...
And now we can't even see it anymore!
So, due to the distortion in the force field, we can't see the surface, huh?
That boundary looks awfully bright...
Is that distortion carrying the light downward?
How terrific, Reg!
At this pace we can make it to the bottom of the netherworld!
Of course, we can't let our guard down, you know.
We might even make it all way to the second layer before anyone comes after us.
W-Well that's good to hear.
By the way, Riko...
Let's have some breakfast...
Yeah.
Welcome back!
Take out the demonfish innards making sure not to damage them,
and smoke them to keep as preserved food.
As for the meat, put a hearty helping in a pot and sprinkle a bit of ground-up Eternal Fortunes on top.
Mix in some stick miso, and then once you throw in a bunch of diced sainona greens...
Ta-da! My special "Riko Soup" is ready!
Irredeemable...
Oh, it tastes better than Riko Bombs!
Riko, what's that you're playing around with?
It's my Star Compass.
Ah, something that helps you tell up from down...?
Wrong! It points to the bottom of the netherworld!
Let me take a look.
It's not magnetic or weighted...
How strange.
Even if you shake it or rotate it around, the direction of the needle doesn't budge a bit.
Really?! Give it here!
Another Relic of the Abyss, huh?
I get the feeling there's some incomprehensible principle at work...
However, is that thing really even useful?
It's fine. It's fine, really...
There's an old saying:
All that which is taken from the Abyss will someday be returned to it.
Whether it be an object or a life...
The Abyss is greedy like that, you know?
I-I see...
The teachings of cave raiders are quite humble...
Yeah, Leader taught that to me.
Ah! That's right!
We were rushing around so much I forgot all about this!
What's this?
An envelope...?
Well, go ahead and take a look inside.
This is...
My mother's sealed letter!
Reg, did you make off with this?!
Nope, take a closer look.
The pages we saw last time were tattered.
So this is probably just a copy, right?
You're right.
Before we left the orphanage, I actually bumped into Leader.
Huh?!
I thought that I really had him fooled, but...
I suddenly realized that thing was in my back pocket, and...
I think he's pretty much the only one who could've done it.
Leader... I wonder if he's cheering us on...
There's a page that's a different size than the others.
"I'll depart at dawn to come capture you"?!
Reg, do you have any idea how long it's been since dawn?!
Nope...
But, considering that it was already bright out when we woke up...
Hurry! We've gotta get going quick!
Reg, go hide any traces of the campfire!
I'm on it!
Uh, I'll...
Go check that we're not leaving anything behind!
Are you ready?
Of course.
Let's go!
Shiggy said that if we make it to the second layer, no one will come after us.
But, why would Leader do something so contrary to normal?
He must be testing us.
This is our final lesson.
The point is that if we get caught now,
we never had any chance of making it to the bottom of the netherworld...
Reg...
Behind us...
Jump right now!
Silkfangs can't leave their territory! It'll act as an anchor!
What an irredeemable plan!
Seems it gave up and let go...
Riko, you okay?
Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just fine.
She's not used to this, so I bet it's really draining her stamina.
It's her first time this deep...
We're on an untracked path...
And on top of that...
Seems our pursuers still haven't caught up with us yet.
We've strayed from the usual route...
So even if they come after us, they won't find us that easily.
Besides, the search parties move in groups of at least three people,
so we should see them com–
What is it, Riko?
Look at that, Reg!
The break in the clouds there...
It's the second layer: The Forest of Temptation!
Second Layer
Forest of Temptation
So this is the second layer.
If a Red Whistle goes down there, it's treated as a suicide.
Where?!
What was that...?
My own voice...?
Oof!
Riko?!
The view's so amazing I just kinda collapsed.
Riko, let's take a little break.
Huh? But...
I need to take a pee, anyway.
Ah, well, then I will too.
Riko, I was thinking about your delusion about the meaning of the letter...
About it being our final lesson?
That's no delusion!
Yeah... I have a feeling you're not mistaken.
Leader said it's necessary for him to patrol every night.
Perhaps he was able to see through us and uncover our nightly plotting,
and even the fact that I'm a robot...
On top of that, if he took the trouble to place that envelope in my pocket,
we need to make a clean escape and show him we're up to the task.
Yeah!
What's the matter, Reg?
What's that? Something flashed over there!
Huh?!
It was around that group of three boulders up there...
Y-You think it's a search party?
It's a cave raider!
There's just one of them, but he's heading straight for us!
What gives?!
We even took care to stay off the usual route...
Taking the trouble to head down this way off the main route...
There's no doubt he's targeting us.
Let's hurry!
Reg...
You see our pursuer anywhere?
I'm trying to look now.
Think we can give him the slip before we reach the second layer?
Ah, uh...
He's... right above us...
Huh?!
What the heck? He's way too fast.
He's caught up to us.
It's just one person...
Can we somehow slip away?
I'd expect nothing less from Lyza's daughter.
You're pretty darn fast, huh, Riko?
Habo?! But why?
How about that?
I've got some skills of my own, don't you think?
Black Whistle Hablog...
To think someone who's not a White Whistle could be so skilled...
What should I do?!
I could let Riko escape alone first...
That being said...
Well, I never suspected it!
That you were a supreme treasure of the netherworld, I mean!
Is even your skin a Relic?
You sure can't tell just by looking at it!
Huh?!
Oh, nothing mechanical about those balls of yours, I see!
Stop it!
Let me go!
Hey, stop kicking.
Taking into account the weight of your backpack, you're pretty darn light...
Reg,
when you get a chance...
Run!
I guess he still hasn't learned the hand signals...
Sorry, my bad.
I still haven't told you what I'm here about.
You see... I'm not actually here to capture you two.
Huh?
Nat and Shiggy came and paid me a visit...
Please!
I'm not asking you to take them all the way to the Seeker Camp!
Just at least help them escape to the second layer!
Besides, this is your last chance to see the true form of a supreme treasure of the netherworld!
Reg was really fast...
But I'm sure, Habo, with your speed you can cat–
So...
You're telling me Reg is truly a treasure of the netherworld, right?
Y-Yes!
I'm going!
So, you see, I came to pay my respects to this "supreme treasure of the netherworld."
I wish paying your respects was the only thing you did...
By the way, the search party was looking for you by the Twisting Crag.
I suppose they'll take a while still.
Well then...
I've had a look at the treasure of the netherworld, so I better fulfill my promise to those boys...
Let's go, you two!
I'm coming along with you to the Seeker Camp!
Really?!
You bet.
It will be reassuring to have a Black Whistle with us.
Right, Riko?
Habo... Uh... Um...
Oh, what is it?
I'm sorry! I can't allow that!
Huh?!
You must be kidding...
This right here... is our final lesson!
Huh?
Oh, I see!
Pretty clever of him, really.
Well, if this is indeed your final lesson, I won't get in your way.
But he should have come himself to see you off one last time...
Ah, but that wouldn't work 'cause he'd catch you right away then, huh?!
I'm sorry, Habo.
You came all the way down here...
It's no problem!
Actually, I have some other business down here, anyway.
Here.
What's this?
It's a vaccine for the second layer that Blue Whistles and up take.
It'll generally spare you from picking up the diving illness down there.
Also, these are left over from yesterday, but here's some mustard steamed buns to keep you going.
Don't wait too long to eat them.
Thank you, Habo!
Lastly, and also most importantly...
Since I won't be accompanying you any further, I should tell you this now.
About that monitoring base called Seeker Camp you're headed to,
the guardian there is a bit of a strange one.
You mean the person who found the sealed letter from my mom?
Yes...
The Unmovable Sovereign, "Ozen the Immovable"...
A White Whistle who's still active.
After you were born in the depths of the Abyss,
she's the one who carried you to the surface along with Lyza.
A White Whistle?! And the very one who saved my life?!
Wow!
But, Hablog, that doesn't seem like anything to be too worried about...
Please be wary of the White Whistle, Ozen.
I can't personally go into the details, but Riko might encounter some distressing things there...
Please be prepared.
It's alright! I'd like to meet a White Whistle, in any case!
And stuff about my mom...
And about the time when she found my mom's sealed letter...
I've gotta ask about all that.
And besides, besides...
Let's see...
You're right. You'll be fine.
You've got a reassuring partner with you, after all.
Reg, take care of Riko.
Understood. Leave it to me.
Well, we're heading out now, Habo.
Alright, off you go.
But if you dawdle around I'll become a White Whistle and catch up to you, you know.
Okay. Give my best to Auntie!
Sure!
At any rate, we're all just the netherworld's lost children...
Sooner or later, I knew this day would come...
Reg, over there!
Huh?
It's a wind-riding windmill!
Oh? What's that?
A long time ago they used those to capture updrafts, apparently.
I hear they've been around for more than 4,000 years.
They've done well to last so long.
The fact that we've passed by them means...
Second Layer
Forest of Temptation
This is the depths' second layer...
We did it, Reg!
We've survived our final lesson!
Is that so?
Sure is!
Leader, we pulled it off!
It hasn't really hit me yet...
Did we really get away from them?
That's right!
We don't have to worry about anyone pursuing us anymore!
If we descend down this far, no help will be sent after us...
That's because both heading here and returning home become very difficult...
I'm quite sure that's what Shiggy said.
So, in other words, down here even the search party would find that it itself is the one being pursued.
Let's hurry on, Reg.
It might be calling all of its buddies over here.
Yeah...
It's not that we've successfully escaped...
Isn't it rather that we're now being pursued by all kinds of things that exist outside the territory of man?
We take the waves of light flowing through the skies
And weave them into bridges connecting our paths
Whether it's slippery slopes or precarious precipices
Our pasts and futures will show us the way
I take your left hand into my right hand
When we're together, we can go anywhere
I'll always be by your side
In the past, present, and future
You're the light who guides my heart
We awaken from dreams brimming with color
Wondering where we'll go tomorrow
As long as we're together
We'll illuminate the world
And shed light upon the flowers at the depths of abyss
Next Episode
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